Conveyer.



No. 809,827. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

G. LUCAS.

GONVEYER.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.7.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVE/VTUR Georyelzwas m ATM/Wi wmvss E 27 ,82 PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

G. LUCAS. GONVEYER.

APPLIU'ATIOH FILED 1330.7, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/TNES ES: 7

, m/mroe d. d.

(Zearge Zucaa A TTORNEYS PATENT GFFTQE.

GEORGE LUCAS, OF PASSAIG, NEW JERSEY.

CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed December '7, 1904. Serial No 235,811.

To all when it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LUCAS, a citi- Zen of the United States, anda resident of Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and Improved Conveyer, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to conveyers, it having for its principal objectthe provision of a simple and durable apparatus which will effectivelytransport material.

It consists in the various features and combinations hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through one embodiment of myinvention, taken just inside the casing-wall. Fig. 2 is a transversesection therethrough on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a broken topplan view of a portion of the conveyer. Fig. at is a detail in top planof the chain. chain with a portion of one of the carriers connectedthereto. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the chain looking towardthe carrier, and Fig. 7 shows in perspective a section of the flexibletrough.

1O designates an inclosing casing which may be of any desired length andbe provided with suitable openings, one of which is indicated at 11, forthe introduction and discharge of the contents of the conveyer. Journaled in the side Walls of this casing near its opposite ends areshafts 12 12, to one of which power may be applied from any suitablesource to advance the conveyer. Fixed to each of these shafts near itscenter is a sprocket-wheel 13, the teeth of which engage with the links14 of a conveyer-chain. Each link has at its outer side end projections15 15, which are pivoted to those of the next adjacent link at 16, therebeing spaces left between the links to receive the sprocket-teeth. Atthe outer side of each link is a recess having inclined side walls 1717, diverging inwardly. Seated in these recesses at intervals along thechain are outwardlyconverging arms 18, which are securely held againstboth lateral and longitudinal movement by the contacting recess-walls,they being maintained in coaction therewith by bolts 19 passingthroughthe junctures of the arms and'through the links. Mounted upon these armsare generally U-shaped supporting members 20, each Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of saidhaving longitudinal side bars 20, which have fixed attheir outer extremities secondary supporting members 21 of the samegeneral form as the main members, but with their bottom portions lyingin a plane nearer the axis of the apparatus. The supporting members areconnected to form baskets or carriers by outwardly-curved bars 22, theinner ends of which lie closely adjacent to one another and which whileforming a substantially continuous support over the straight run of theconveyor are separated by a llllllllllllnl amount upon the turns. Journaled upon the outer ends of the arms 18 are rolls 23, ru ning uponinner tracks 24, extending longitudinally of the casing and beingsupported upon long brackets 25, projecting from the side walls thereof.At the outer ends of the members 20 are rolls 26, which cooperate withouter tracks 27, similarly supported upon short brackets 28. Therelation of the tracks to the chain is such that the rolls of the upperrun of the conveyor are situated above said tracks, so that they supportthe entire weight of the carriers and their contents,

while the lower tracks are situated farther.

from the axis, so that they also lie below the wheels and support theempty carriers. The upper and lower sections of each pair of tracks haveoverlapping curved ends 29, separated by distances equal to the diameterof the rolls to enable this transfer of action to be effectivelyaccomplished. Within the carriers secured to their inner sides is acontinuous trough-shaped strip of flexible material. This, asillustrated, consists of woven wire 30, having interlocked spirals, theexpansion of which allows the trough to adjust itself to the curvatureof the ends of the conveyer without leaving undue fullness along thesides of the straight portion. If desired to facilitate the carrying offinely-divided material, this wire fabric may be faced or lined at 31with some such closely-woven material as canvas.

It will be seen that my improved conveyer furnishes an unbroken conduitof considerable depth, by which many kinds of material maybe moved fromone point to another, and that the flexible fabric which constitutes theconveyer proper is so supported that it may carry great weights withoutsagging and yet readily adapts itself to changes of direction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A conveyer comprising inner and outer tracks,carriers coaoting with both tracks, and flexible material connecting andextending through the carriers.

2. In a conveyer, the combination with a series of traveling carriers,each comprising a main generally U-shaped supporting member andsecondary supporting members mounted at each side thereof, of a strip offlexible material attached to and supported by the carrier members.

3. In a conveyer, the combination with a series of traveling carriers,each comprising a main generally U-shaped supporting member, secondarysupporting members mounted at each side thereof and inwardly-curvedbottom bars connecting the supporting members, of a strip of flexiblematerial attached to and supported by the carrier members.

4. In a conveyer, the combination with a series of traveling carriers,each comprising a generally U-shaped member, of astrip of flexiblematerial attached to and supported by the carrier members, rollsjournaled upon the carriers, and tracks with which the rolls contact.

5. A conveyer comprising a chain consisting of links, each having arecess with oppositely-inclined Walls, carriers provided withoutwardly-converging arms lying within the recesses and contacting withthe inclined walls, and means for securing the carriers to the links.

6. A conveyer comprising toothed wheels, a chain consisting of pivotedlinks operating upon the wheels and having spaces formed betweenadjacent links to receive the teeth, and carriers fixed to the linksbetween their pivotal points.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE LUCAS. [L. s.]

